Chapter Twenty-Seven

 

 

 

Stephanie

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m not wearing that.”

Briana groaned at Shaylee and shook the tiara she had thrust at her best friend just a moment before. “Come on, Lee! It’s a bachelorette party! I wore a penis tiara for mine.”

“You insisted on wearing a penis tiara for yours,” Shaylee said wryly, still not taking the crown from my sister. “No.”

Shaylee and Briana’s friend, Hannah, put down her finished drink and grabbed the tiara. She settled it over her platinum blonde hair. “I’ll wear the stupid thing if it will stop your fighting. Now, it’s time for you to get on the bull, Shaylee.”

Shaylee, Bri, Hannah, Alyssa, Kara, and myself were at a country bar, our third bar of the night, for Shaylee’s bachelorette party. She was leaving for Maine in a few days and would be married in just one week.

Even though Alyssa and I were older than Shaylee and Briana, we had all basically grown up together. Kara was a late addition. She and I had met for lunch earlier that week and I had insisted that she come with us. Hannah was a friend of Shaylee’s that she had met during one of her summers in Maine and apparently those three were quite the trio at that point.

We had all been told to wear jeans and had been given black tank-tops that said ‘Bachelorette Party’ on them. Shaylee was wearing a white one that declared her as the bride to be and even though she complained about it being cheesy, she loved it.

Drew’s bachelor party was also happening at that moment, although I had no idea where the guys were. I did know that Jared was with them since Marco had invited him to join.

Thankfully my mother had jumped at the chance to babysit Chris for us. She had tried to get us to leave him with her overnight but neither Jared nor I were on board with that idea. Even though he had only met my parents a week before, I knew he trusted them but he just wasn’t ready to spend a whole night away from the little guy. Hell, I’d spent many nights away from him but I wasn’t ready for it either.

“What are you grinning about over there, Steph?” Shaylee asked with a grin once she had been bucked off of the mechanical bull and I snapped out of my daydream to meet her eyes.

“Oh, nothing. Just zoned out.”

Alyssa snorted into her drink. “Stephanie’s getting it on the regular so she can’t think of anything else.”

I could feel my face warm slightly and I smacked my best friend on the arm. She had a point, though. In the six days since we had confessed our feelings for each other, Jared and I seemed to be making up for lost time.

“I should have known they were going to end up together,” Kara commented with a slight slur to her words. She, Alyssa, and I had formed quite the friendship since I first met her in the NICU. “They had goo-goo eyes for each other right from the get go.”

“This is Shaylee’s bachelorette party, so why are we talking about me?” I held up my bottle of beer and gestured to the woman of the hour. “Let’s talk about her.”

“Oh, good idea!” Briana was completely wasted and the shot she downed that very moment wasn’t going to help anything. “Let’s share our favorite memories of Butler.”

Everyone had a great memory to share except Kara, who just raved about the bride’s bull riding skills. When it was my turn, I smirked at Shaylee and she immediately shook her head. She knew what I was going to say.

“Don’t do it, Steph.”

“So,” I started, ignoring her pleas. “My favorite memory of Shaylee Butler is from my first year of college. I decided to go to Mom and Dad’s to grab lunch when one of my classes was cancelled and heard a noise from the back of the house.”

“Stephanie!” Shaylee lunged across the table to try and cover my mouth but I laughed and moved so she couldn’t reach me.

“I went back to investigate and found Shaylee in her bra and underwear in Austin’s bed. He was in just his underwear and trying to unhook her bra while clumsily making out with her.”

“What?” Briana yelped, her eyes wide as she stared at her best friend. “You and my brother?”

“Oh, god.” Shaylee dropped her bright red face into her hand and shook her head. “Nothing happened. Stephanie’s interruption killed the moment and she took us both back to school. It was that day I ditched because I didn’t want to go to the career fair.”

My sister’s eyes were scrunched up like she was in physical pain. “Shaylee and Austin. I need brain bleach.”

“Here.” Hannah pushed a shot glass towards Bri with a laugh. “This should help.”

Another hour later, most of our group was drunk and even I was feeling a little tipsy. We were still at the same bar and all of us had taken a turn on the bull at that point. We were standing at the bar, trying to decide what to do next, when tattooed arms wrapped around Shaylee from behind. She jumped slightly before glancing over her shoulder. When she realized who her admirer was, a broad grin stretched across her drunken face.

“Hello, future husband.”

Drew Moore was a good looking man. I had only met him a few times but I could tell he was a great guy already. He adjusted the red Arizona Diamondbacks hat that he was wearing backwards on his head and ran his other hand along the trim beard on his chin. He pressed a kiss to Shaylee’s lips and offered her a smile that made it obvious that she was his whole world.

“Hey, beauty queen. Are you having fun?”

“So much.”

I turned my head and immediately locked eyes with Jared as he walked up. Marco was with him, along with a couple of other guys I didn’t know.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He stopped in front of me and dropped his hands to my waist. I grinned and leaned in so I could give him a quick kiss. “Are you ladies having fun?”

“Yeah. What about you guys?”

He nodded and flexed his fingers slightly. “It’s been nice letting loose but I miss the baby.”

“Oh, thank god.” I pressed my cheek to his and sighed. “I thought I was abnormal because I missed him, too.”

“I’m so glad you two got together.” Alyssa stumbled over to us with a grin. “Although you’ve basically stolen my roommate from me.”

Jared shrugged his shoulders and pulled me to his side. “I can’t even be sorry about it.”

“Maybe it’s time for you to date,” I suggested to my best friend and she scrunched up her nose like it was the most ridiculous suggestion in the world.

“I’m too busy conquering the world first. I’ll date later.”

Kara staggered over to us and sighed. “Hear, hear. I haven’t gone on a date in two months and it’s been glorious. I do miss sex, though.”

Jared closed his eyes at the same time I let out a snort of laughter. About three other guys that were around us heard Kara’s declaration. When they looked her up and down, my boyfriend shook his head.

“Anyone ready to call it a night? I didn’t drink tonight and would be happy to drive you home.”

After hugging Bri, Shay, and Hannah and ensuring that the other half had a ride home, Kara and Alyssa squished into Jared’s backseat on either side of the car seat base. We dropped them off at the house I shared with Alyssa and I made sure they were both tucked in her bed before leaving them.

Chris was asleep when we got to my parents’ place and it was easy to transfer him into the crib when we got home. The second we were out of the nursery, Jared pushed me up against the wall and gave me a long, hard kiss.

God, I loved kissing that man. My fingers dove into his hair and I held his face against mine while we kissed like there was no tomorrow. We barely pulled away enough so that we could strip each other of our clothes. My bachelorette tank top ended up somewhere in the hallway with Jared’s t-shirt and my pants were gone before we hit the bed.

I pushed him down onto his back and watched as he got comfortable on one of the pillows in the middle of the bed. With his hands behind his head, he offered me a handsome smirk. I slowly crawled up the bed, taking advantage of my position to appreciate his naked body, and ended up straddled across his naked waist. I kissed along his stomach, up his chest, and along his chin until our mouths met.

“I love you,” Jared said against my lips right before I straightened up. I moved my hips until I could push down on top of him, connecting our bodies, and let out a blissful sigh.

“I love you, too, Jare. So much.”

I moved on top of him, finding the perfect rhythm, and he stared up at me with so much reverence. His hands slid up my stomach, across my breasts, and he didn’t stop until he could tug my head down to kiss me.

Our movements became frantic and my eyes slammed closed when pleasurable sensation filled me from my head down to my toes. I called out Jared’s name and gasped when he rolled us, drilling his hips into mine forcefully and managing to send me back over the edge again.

When I opened my eyes, we were both panting heavily and Jared had buried his face into the crook of my neck. I kissed his sweaty shoulder and he didn’t move until after his breathing had leveled out. He pushed himself up slightly and stared down at me.

“Making love to you still blows me away. You were made for me, Steph.”

“Or maybe you were made for me, City Roast.” I grinned at him and pressed against his side once he had shifted onto his back. Settled into the warm cocoon of his arms, I quickly fell asleep.

–––

The Friday following the bachelorette party, I sat in the nursery with Chris in my arms. Jared and I had been rocking him to the point where he was drowsy but not asleep before placing him in the crib in hopes that he would start putting himself to sleep. It was working pretty well so far.

His little eyelids were heavy as I laid him down and he offered me a sleepy smile when I placed his lovey against his cheek. The giraffe part immediately went to his mouth and he turned his head away, closing his eyes as he did.

“I love you, sweet boy,” I murmured, stepping away from the crib. I could have stood there watching him for hours but knew if he realized I wasn’t leaving, he wouldn’t go to sleep.

I left the nursery and headed back out to the living room. Jared was sitting on the couch and he smiled the second our eyes met. “He go down okay?”

“Of course he did,” I replied with a teasing scoff. “He’s perfect.”

Jared’s gaze stayed on me as I approached where he was and when he realized my intent, he dropped his arms to the back of the couch. His green eyes watched as I straddled his lap, placing my knees on the couch on either side of him.

“So, No Grey’s tonight?” he asked with a smirk. I ran my fingers through his hair and shrugged my shoulders.

“I mean, we can do that if you want.” I moved to get out of his lap and his hands flew to my waist, holding me in place.

“You’re such a smart ass.” His lips covered mine and I pushed against his chest, loving the way his hold tightened on me. Kissing him still felt as electrifying and perfect as the first one we had shared months before.

Jared had just pulled my shirt over my head when my phone rang from the coffee table. I groaned at the same time he sighed and buried his face into my neck.

“I can ignore it.”

He chuckled, causing both of our bodies to shake, and lifted up his head so he was looking at me. “See who it is before you decide that.”

“You’re thinking way too rationally for someone who shouldn’t be thinking at all,” I complained as I leaned backwards just enough so I could grab my phone. When I saw Keon’s name, I groaned again and swiped the screen. “Hey, Keon. What’s up?”

“I’m sorry to bug you, Steph.” He sounded exhausted and apologetic. “I just got a DV call and was wondering if you’d go with me.”

Although he was public enemy number one in that moment, he had a good reason for asking. Domestic violence calls were hard as it was but when a tall, muscular man like Keon showed up, it could tend to make a battered woman more afraid and less willing to trust. He had made the right call by contacting me, no matter how crappy the timing was.

I released a long sigh and held Jared’s green eyes as I spoke. “Of course. Want me to meet you there or do you want to pick me up? I’m at Jared’s, so right on State Street by the office.”

“Text me the address and I’ll pick you up in about ten minutes, if that’s okay. Thank you, Stephanie.”

“No problem.” I ended the call and quickly tapped out Jared’s address before looking at my handsome boyfriend. “I’m sorry.”

He offered me a lopsided grin. “You have no reason to apologize, sweetheart. You have to go save the world and I’ll be ready to pick up where we left off whenever you come back.” Our lips pressed together again, this time in a sweeter kiss, and then he gently pushed me to my feet. “Go get ready before I pull the rest of your clothes off.”

“Don’t tempt me,” I mumbled as I grabbed my discarded shirt from the floor and headed down the hallway. I found a pair of black slacks and pulled on a button-up blouse that had been hanging in Jared’s closet. After fixing my ponytail, I slid my feet into my heels and walked back out to the living room.

Jared was sitting on the arm of the couch and he stood when I moved towards the door.

“Keep me updated?”

I nodded and gave him a quick kiss. “I will. Don’t wait up, though.”

“I’ll try not to.” His fingertips trailed down my cheek. “I love you, Steph.”

“I love you, too, Jare.”

I grabbed my bag and opened the front door. Jared stood in the doorway watching until the elevator doors closed and I leaned back against the rail with a happy sigh.

Kenneth was working the desk when I stepped onto the ground floor and he offered me a friendly smile. “Heading out for the night, Ms. Gibson?”

“To work for a bit, unfortunately. Hopefully I’ll be back soon.”

“Be safe out there.” He smiled again and I thanked him before stepping out to meet where Keon had just pulled up.

I slid into the passenger seat and he gave me an apologetic look. Before he could speak, I held up my hand.

“You did the right thing. Let’s get down there.”

He already had the address plugged into the GPS and gave me a brief rundown as we drove.

“From what I understand, one of their kids called the police to report that the dad was hitting his mom. The wife is in pretty bad shape but none of the kids are hurt. The father was still on scene when the police arrived but they haven’t taken him in yet.”

“They haven’t?” I frowned and looked at Keon’s profile. “Why not?”

“Apparently he’s a member of the force and it’s complicated things.”

It took a moment to absorb his words and when I did, everything inside of me went tight. I glanced out the window and realized that I knew exactly where we were going. It was confirmed when we turned onto a familiar street.

“Keon,” I whispered into the dark cab. “Did you say there were three kids?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him look over at me. “I didn’t say but yeah, there are three kids. What’s going on?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because we had just pulled up in front of my younger sister’s house.

Police cruisers with their lights flashing were parked out front as well as one active ambulance. Neighbors and other looky-loos were starting to gather and I felt like I was going to be sick. I pushed the door open before Keon even had the car parked and flew out. As fast as my heels would allow, I darted towards the front of the house. A police officer stepped in front with his arms out.

“Whoa, ma’am. You can’t go in there.”

I glared and tried to shove him aside. “Move.”

“Ma’am.” He grabbed my wrists to restrain me. “You need to stay back.”

“We’re with the Department of Child Safety,” Keon said behind me, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder. “This is Stephanie Gibson, I’m Keon Swift.” He held up his DCS identification and the officer finally dropped his hold on me.

“That’s all she needed to say.”

Without an apology or explanation, I brushed past him and continued hurrying to the house. I stepped inside the front door and glanced around frantically.

The living room was in shambles. The coffee table was cracked, a bookcase that held books and other random knickknacks now had literature and broken glass in front of it. Blood smeared along the hardwood in one place. When my eyes landed on Eldon, a very unrestrained Eldon, where he was talking to his police buddies, rage boiled over.

“Why the hell isn’t he in cuffs?” I screamed, stepping forward. “This isn’t tea time with your fucking buddies. He does not get a pass because he has a badge. You better get those cuffs on him and treat him like any other wife beater before I call every news outlet in town and tell them exactly what is going on.”

Keon said my name behind me but I ignored him when Eldon sneered.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

I stepped forward so we were nose to nose and had to resist punching him. My whole body was shaking with anger. “I’m here because DCS was called in due to the danger of keeping your children in this home. I’m here to make sure you never hurt my sister, my niece, or my nephews ever again.”

I heard Keon inhale a sharp breath when I said the last part and I felt him behind me when an officer approached.

“Don’t you dare put your hands on her,” he warned whoever it was. Before anyone could say anything else, someone tearfully said my name. I turned and immediately went into a crouch when Tanner ran into my arms.

“Auntie Steph.”

I wrapped my arms around him and had to choke back the tears. I wouldn’t let him see me cry. “Hey, baby. Are you okay?”

He nodded and pulled back, wiping his little face as he did. “I’m okay but Mommy isn’t.” He glanced up at Eldon and his whole face went darker than I’d ever seen it before. “She’s hurt really bad. I called nine-one-one.”

“You did great, sweet boy. I’m so proud of you. Go back with your brother and sister and I’ll be right there.” I watched as he ran off and once he was out of sight, I turned to look at Eldon while pulling my phone out of my pocket.

I pressed a name and brought the phone up to my ear. It rang three times before a woman answered. “This is Alice Murphy.”

“Commander Murphy, hi. This is Stephanie Gibson with DCS. I have an issue and I need your help.”

The officer who was standing next to my brother-in-law looked at him with wide eyes but Eldon shook his head.

“She’s bluffing.”

“What’s going on, Stephanie?” Alice asked, her tone curious.

“DCS was called out to a DV case,” I started, not taking my eyes off of Eldon. “When we arrived, the assailant was just standing here shooting the shit with the officers. He’s a patrol officer with the North Park precinct and I don’t see anyone from IAB or the FIB.”

Alice growled quietly in my ear. She couldn’t stand when people abused their positions. The Phoenix Police Department was full of amazing officers but a select few, like my brother-in-law, managed to tarnish everything. “Tell me where you’re at and I’ll have someone out there from FIB as soon as possible. I’ll also call and notify Internal Affairs.”

I rattled off the address and thanked her before ending the call. I held up my phone again and narrowed my eyes. “Detectives from the Family Investigations Bureau are on their way and Commander Murphy is notifying the Internal Affairs Bureau. My next call is going to be to either the prosecutor or my best friend who works for KWAZ if you don’t start treating this seriously.”

“Why don’t you go check on your sister, Steph?” Keon suggested quietly. “I’ll stay here and wait for the detectives.”

I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to leave before I said something I couldn’t take back or leave before I exploded and beat the shit out of someone. Either way, I knew Keon was right. I nodded my head and shot one more scathing glare in Eldon’s direction before turning to head deeper into the house.